Mizzou football will play in their final game of the 2018 season on New Year’s Eve when they take part in the Liberty Bowl. It’ll be Drew Lock’s final game in a Missouri uniform, but the quarterback should consider not suiting up.
Before I dive into the topic at hand, I want to state that I haven’t seen any speculation of Drew Lock not playing for Mizzou football on New Year’s Eve. He probably will take the snaps for MU one last time in his college career.
It might sound crazy to encourage an athlete not to play in a game, but we’re beginning to see more and more college athletes sit out of bowl games. When you think about them, most bowl games are pointless.
The Missouri Tigers are playing in one of those pointless bowl games on New Year’s Eve and it’ll be Drew Lock’s final game as a member of Mizzou. The senior quarterback will be entering the 2019 NFL Draft and taking his football career to the next level.
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That is the very reason why Lock should consider sitting out of the Liberty Bowl.
For one, injuries happen in football. Lock has stayed relatively healthy throughout his time at Missouri and obviously he’d like that to remain the case as he heads to the next phase of his football career.
Second, and shockingly, Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert announced on Wednesday that he’d be returning to Eugene for his senior season. Herbert more than likely would have been the first quarterback taken in next year’s draft and now that opens things up for someone else to take that title.
Drew Lock could be that guy.
Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins hasn’t made a decision yet about whether or not he’ll go pro. If he does forego his final year of eligibility, he’ll likely be the top quarterback in the draft. If he decides to stay in school, Lock will be the most coveted player at the most important position in football.
We all saw what the Kansas City Chiefs gave up to move up in the draft to take Patrick Mahomes. A team very well could be willing to do the same thing in acquiring Drew Lock to be their franchise quarterback.
While I understand the competitive nature of wanting to play, Drew Lock should strongly consider either fully sitting out or only playing for a few possessions. He has millions of dollars on the line this spring and getting injured could ruin that for him.
Would it be worth throwing that all away for a meaningless appearance in the Liberty Bowl?